LA VERNE, Calif. --- George Fox University's football team kicked off its season in a thrilling match-up, Saturday afternoon, as the Bruins dropped a very close, but nail-biting game to the Leopards of La Verne, 27-23.

Game Recap:
Despite losing by four points in the season opener, the Bruins looked like a well-oiled machine throughout the game. The Leopards were the first to get on the board after a 66-yard hurl from Leopard' quarterback William Livingston to Alex Arellano, but the Bruins responded just moments later when quarterback Grant Schroeder took one to the house using his legs for a 21-yard touchdown run. In the start of the second quarter, the Bruins eased their way downfield to setup a short four-yard touchdown run by Lenana Meekisho. With their feet underneath them, the Bruins used fantastic possession and hard-nosed defense to keep the Leopards scoreless in the second quarter. The Bruins went into the half leading 13-7.

The second half proved to be a slugfest between both teams, as the Leopards scored with 7:21 left in the third to retake the lead, 14-13, but the Bruins came firing back with a second rushing touchdown by Schroeder to regain the lead, 20-14. The Bruins tacked on three more points when Uriel Gonzalez drilled a 30-yard field goal, 23-14. The Leopards slowly started to chip away at the Bruins lead, scoring two touchdowns in the last 10 minutes of the game to claim the 27-23 comeback win.

Top Performers:
Grant Schroeder had a marvelous day completing 16-of-23 passes for 192 yards. He also ran seven times for 61 yards and two touchdowns. John Shaffer led the running game rushing for 105 yards on 19 carries. Brad Lander was Schroeder's favorite target bringing in six catches for 105 yards. Trent Hardin led the defense with 12 total tackles and one tackle for a loss on the day.

What it Means:
The Bruins may have dropped their season opener and now stand at 0-1 on the season, but spirits are high, as they showed tremendous progress on the gridiron.

What Comes Next:
The Bruins return to Newberg for their home opener on Saturday, September 12th against the University of Redlands. George Fox led the Northwest Conference in home attendance last year, and the Bruins expect a big crowd for the home opener. Tickets are still available and can be found here.